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Oct 8 - Oct 14, 2012 Edition

Chautauqua Institution Calls for Literary Prize Submissions

Chautauqua Institution is pleased to invite submissions for its important new annual prize for a work of fiction or literary/narrative nonfiction. Awarded for the first time in the summer of 2012, The Chautauqua Prize celebrates a book that provides a richly rewarding reading experience and honors the author for a significant contribution to the literary arts. The author receives $7,500 and all travel and expenses for a one-week summer residency at Chautauqua Institution in western New York.

Eligible books for the 2013 prize will have been published in English in the United States within 2012. Nominations will be accepted from publishers, agents, authors, and readers. The deadline for nomination is December 31, 2012. More information on eligibility, submission requirements and the selection process are available at ciweb.org/prize.

This summer, Chautauqua Institution awarded the first Chautauqua Prize to The Sojourn (Bellevue Literary Press) by Andrew Krivak. In addition to the award ceremony, Krivak hosted a public reading and book signing on Aug. 6 on the Institution grounds.

"I feel honored to be part of this new tradition at Chautauqua Institution, and to be recognized by a place with such a long-standing commitment to art and literature in America," Krivak said.

The Sojourn was chosen from a finalist shortlist that includes five other titles: All Cry Chaos (The Permanent Press) by Leonard Rosen; Caleb's Crossing(Viking) by Geraldine Brooks; In The Garden of Beasts (Crown) by Erik Larson; We Are Taking Only What We Need (BkMk Press) by Stephanie Powell Watts; and Why Read Moby-Dick? (Viking) by Nathaniel Philbrick.

With a history steeped in the literary arts, Chautauqua Institution is the home of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, founded in 1878 and believed to be the oldest continuous book club in the country. The CLSC honors nine outstanding books of fiction, nonfiction, essays and poetry every summer. The Chautauqua Prize-winning book, while not officially designated as a CLSC selection, counts toward members' reading lists, ensuring continued readership into the future by thousands of active readers.

Further literary arts programming at Chautauqua includes summer-long interaction of published and aspiring writers at the Chautauqua Writers' Center, the intensive workshops of the nationally recognized Chautauqua Writers' Festival, and lectures by prominent authors on the art and craft of writing.

The preeminent expression of lifelong learning in the United States, Chautauqua Institution is a 138-year-old community on the shores of Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York state that comes alive each summer with a unique mix of fine and performing arts, lectures, interfaith worship and programs, and recreational activities. Over the course of nine weeks, more than 100,000 people visit Chautauqua and participate in programs, classes and community events for all ages — all within the beautiful setting of a historic lakeside village.

Details on The Chautauqua Prize are online at http://www.ciweb.org/prize.